Cat Tales
by Padfoot57
Summary: Mercedes Sinclair is a beautiful woman from Lexington, Kentucky. She is a trace expert and a great new hand for the lab but her past love lives could be a danger to the team. Stetler/OC
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own CSI Miami but I do own Mercedes, Rascal and Samson. **

Mercedes Sinclair walked into Miami Dade crime lab on her first day and still couldn't get over the beauty of it. She was given her badge and gun by Horatio Caine and shown around the crime lab the day before. Mercedes look forward to meeting her co workers and starting work in the trace lab and field.

Horatio met her this morning and saw her to the lab.

"See me if you need anything Ms. Sinclair," Horatio said kindly.

"Thank you Lieutenant, "Mercedes said gratefully. She walked around the lab and familiarized herself more with where everything was.

Eric and Ryan walked by and noticed the new brunette. She was tall with long curly brown hair and light green eyes. Her skin was lightly tanned and she wore all back with polished cowboy boots. The two men walked in and introduced themselves.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mercedes Sinclair," Mercedes introduced herself in a light southern accent.

"Ryan Wolfe."

"Eric Delko," Eric and Ryan introduced and shook hands.

"Nice to meet both of you." Mercedes said. They talked to her for a minute then moved on to do their jobs. Mercedes started to run the trace samples from a few cases and record the results. Calleigh came in for work and went to meet Mercedes as well.

"Hi are you are new trace expert?" Calliegh asked.

"Yes I am."

"Calliegh Duquesne, I'm in ballistics," Calliegh introduced.

"Mercedes Sinclair," Mercedes said and they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you." Calliegh said. "I don't want to be rude but did you run the White case samples?"

"Yes I did, the sample was a mix of sugar and cocaine." Mercedes said and gave her the results.

"Thank you, did Horatio give you a case to work?"

"Not yet," Mercedes shrugged.

"If we get another call which we probably will I will get you on it," Calliegh said.

"Thank you ma'am," Mercedes said and finished the work on her desk. She was done in two hours and went to get something to drink from the break room.

"How are you doing Ms. Sinclair?" Horatio asked her.

"Fine Lt. I love the lab," Mercedes said and poured herself some coffee.

"I'm glad you do. You can go out in the field the next call in, it's actually a slow day," H chuckled.

"Sounds good," Mercedes said.

She worked with the team for the rest of the week and worked on her small flat on the outskirts of Miami on the weekend. She had grown up in Worthville Kentucky and worked in Lexington as a CSI for 10 years. Mercedes had looked for a new change of scenery and found a steady job and nice house in Miami.

The flat had been vacant for about three years and the yard and some of the inside needed work. Growing up on a farm Mercedes had learned to fix anything from fences to roofs. They had raised horses, corn, tomatoes, apples, peaches, pears, and a few other vegetables.

She started on the linoleum floors which had rotted in some places, fixed some of the piping, and worked on the flowerbeds and overgrown bushes. Her two cats, Rascal and Samson explored the gardens and climbed around in the attic. Rascal's striped grey coat disguised him in the shadows but Samson's bright white fur and dark spots gave him away. Boxes were still stacked in the living room and she was in the process of organizing the rooms.

Mercedes owned two horses, Minerva and Aslan. Minerva was a grey Arabian mare and Aslan was a chestnut appaloosa gelding. Her saddles and bridles were still in the house but were covered up to prevent the cats from ruining the leather.

After working at the yard and floors all day she took a long break for dinner and started unpacking the rest of the boxes in the living room. By the time Mercedes finished it was well past midnight.

She woke up late in the morning and took her saddles and other horse supplies out to the horse complex. The horses seemed to be settled well and Mercedes spent the rest of the day on the beach.

On Monday morning she was woken by the heat of sun across her back. Mercedes looked to her alarm clock which was not on.

"Damn!" she cursed and jumped out of bed. The cord on her digital clock was chewed in two. "Rascals!" she called but the offender was nowhere to be seen. Samson purred and rolled onto his back to expose his white belly and look innocent. Mercedes sighed and dashed into the refurbished bathroom to take a quick shower.

By the time she arrived at the crime lab she was 45 minutes late. Mercedes crept into her lab and was relieved at not being confronted. She set her purse down and looked at the work load on her desk and began to take care of it.

"Ms. Sinclair," Horatio said softly from the doorway and made her jump.

"Yes Lieutenant?" she asked.

"You were late this morning." Horatio stated.

"My alarm clock was vandalized but I have a suspect and he is in custody," Mercedes said with a straight face.

"Puppy?" Horatio asked.

"A spoiled and stressed out kitty," Mercedes said.

"Make sure he is seen by the prison therapist. Good police work Ms. Sinclair," Horatio said.

"Thank you lieutenant," Mercedes said.

"Call me Horatio," H said with a smile.

"Ok Horatio," Mercedes smiled back.

"Oh and IAB is on a rampage today just to let you know," H said.

"Great," Mercedes groaned and Horatio left her chuckling to himself. She worked for another half hour before being interrupted. Rick Stetler walked through the trace lab door and shut it behind him.

"Mercedes Sinclair?" Rick asked.

"Yes sir?" Mercedes cringed, this IAB didn't seem like he gave a lot of slack.

"You were late this morning am I correct?" Rick asked in a clipped tone.

"Yes sir."

"And why were you late?"

"My cat ate my alarm clock cord and it didn't go off," Mercedes explained weakly.

"He must have issues. I thought my cat was the only one who did things like that," Rick chuckled. Mercedes relaxed a little bit.

"That's not even scratching the surface," she said.

"What are you doing Friday?" Rick asked innocently.

"I will be sitting at home," Mercedes said.

"Would you like to go out?"

"To where?"

"Texas Road house," Rick offered.

"Sounds good," Mercedes agreed.

"See you then right after work?"

"Okay."

"Don't mention this to anyone and you are forgiven for being late," Rick said and left the lab. Mercedes hummed to herself and went through the hectic day in Miami with a new outlook.

She went home and was greeted by her chirping cats. Mercedes picked Rascal up and hugged him.

"You will be released on bail and get a treat," she cooed and put the cats on the counter to feed them. _Ming?_ Rascal meowed and looked at her innocently. "I love your feline intuition," Mercedes clarified and fed the cats a little bit of tuna. "And I forgot to get a new alarm clock."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you Jag Lady for the review!**

**All of the cats in this story are based off of real ones i have met or owned :D**

Chapter 2

"What do I wear?" Mercedes fretted and dug through her closet. Rascal and Samson watched her with amusement as she ran around the house. "Pink or green?" she asked the cats. _Rowr,_ they meowed; Mercedes sighed. "You two are really no help."Mercedes decided on the green plaid shirt and tight jeans. She pulled her light brown leather cowboy boots and started to the door.

"Watch the house," Mercedes told the cats and drove to the restaurant. She parked and waited for Rick to get there. He drove up in a large maroon Ford truck. Mercedes' own truck was a 1985 Dodge dually with stacks. I could pull her trailer easily and ran like a top. She had gotten a department Hummer but she still loved her truck.

Mercedes walked stepped out of her truck and met Rick.

"Good evening ma'am," Rick said politely.

"Same to you," Mercedes said and walked with him inside the crowded restaurant. They found a table in the quieter part of the Road house and sat in a small booth. The couple ordered their food and drinks and talked a little bit.

"So you are from Lexington?" Rick started.

"I was raised in Worthville but then moved to the capital and worked as a CSI." Mercedes said. "Where are you from?"

"Birmingham Alabama," Rick said.

"Nice, my sister lives there. I have one sister and three brothers," Mercedes chuckled.

"I was the middle child with an older brother and a younger sister," Rick added. Their food came and the two started on their generous steaks and beers.

"What made you want to come to Miami?" Rick asked.

"I came down here for vacation last year and fell in love with it. I had been looking for a change for a while." Mercedes said. "How did you end up here?"

"Believe it or not Horatio and I were friends at one point and we went to college together in New York. We both tried for lieutenant after we moved to Miami and he ended up getting the job and I went into IAB." Rick explained.

"I bet you hate IAB," Mercedes chuckled.

"I just don't like the people I work with," Rick said grimly and took another drink of his beer.

"Back in Lexington my IAB was pretty lenient and we all tried to stay out of trouble. He always looked forward to my excuses of why I was late or missed work because it usually involved my cats or horses," Mercedes said.

"You have horses?" Rick asked with interest.

"Yes I do, an Arabian and Appaloosa."Mercedes said.

"I have a quarter horse, Cleveland bay and an Arabian thoroughbred cross."

"Wow, what do you ride?"

"Western Pleasure, Show jumping, steeplechase and dressage." Rick listed.

"I do everything but steeple chase with my horses."Mercedes said. They were silent for a few moments. "So you have a cat or cats?"

"One cat; a little grey one I call Birdie. She hates to be held but will sit on your shoulder like a parrot." Rick chuckled.

"Aw that's cute; my cats are crazy. The youngest is a tiger cat named Rascal and he's the one who ate my alarm clock. Samson is older and he is a longhair that has a thing for sleeping on my head." Rick laughed and the two talked about themselves for a few hours into the night. They walked out to their trucks and Mercedes kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

Rick smiled all the way back to his condo. He stepped in the door and locked it behind him. Rick scanned the room for Birdie but she was nowhere in sight. He went to up to his bedroom and she wasn't there either. He shrugged, took a shower and returned to go to bed. Rick yelled as Birdie jumped from the canopy over the bed onto his bare shoulders.

"Ouch cat!" Rick yelped and the grey blob jumped down onto the bed. She meowed innocently and laid on one of the pillows. "I am on to you ninja kitty," he said and slipped under the comforter.

_Rowr,_ Birdie meowed indifferently and fell asleep along with her owner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well I thought this was just going to be a few little one-shots but the bunny went wild and I actually sort of have a plot in mind. **

**So here goes nothing... **

Chapter 3

Mercedes groaned early the next morning as her sister called her phone again. She checked the caller id, set it down and turned over and covered her head with a pillow. Rascal complained loudly as the covers were shifted and he fell off the bed.

"Sorry kitty," Mercedes mumbled. The phone stayed silent for another fifteen minutes and she almost fell back asleep. The phone rang again and startled Mercedes out of semi consciousness. She didn't look at the caller ID and picked it up.

"You had better be on fire," Mercedes growled.

"Um I do not know how to respond to that," Horatio's low voice came over the phone.

"Oh my God sir I am so sorry I thought this was my sister calling," Mercedes apologized.

"That's ok ma'am, can you make it out to a scene today by chance?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, sure just give me few to get ready." Mercedes said.

"I will pick you up."

"Thank you Horatio, I'll leave the door open if you want to come in," she said.

"Okay see you in a little while," Horatio said and they hung up. Rascal seemed to be laughing as Mercedes dragged herself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. She showered quickly and pulled something on to go out into the field. Horatio arrived just as she was drying her hair and quietly slipped into the house.

Rascal and Samson looked at the intruder for a moment and Horatio stared back at them. Rascal yowled at the top of his lungs and ran back into the bathroom.

"It's just my boss guys," Mercedes reassured them. Horatio was casually looking around her living room when she came out of her room. "Good morning Horatio." She greeted and fed the cats.

"Good morning ma'am," Horatio said kindly.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't look at the caller ID," Mercedes apologized.

"It's ok we all get like that sometimes. Are we ready to go?" Horatio chuckled.

"Yes sir." Mercedes said and made sure her gun was clipped into her holster. Horatio drove them to the scene which was in a rundown neighborhood.

The strong smell of decomp hit the CSI's noses as they stepped through a door practically rotted off its hinges. The body was on the second floor in the master bedroom. The victim was a 40 year old male who had been stabbed to death. He lay sprawled across a moth eaten bedspread and the blankets were stained dark crimson.

"Hate crime," Horatio nodded.

"Total overkill," Mercedes added and photographed the room along with Jesse Cardoza. She had met him a day after she started at the lab.

"Where is everybody today?" Jesse asked.

"All busy," Horatio said.

"Hmm," Jesse hummed and they waited for Tom to tell them TOD.

"He's been dead at least three days," Tom shook his head.

"Obviously Tom," Jesse chuckled.

"I will ignore that comment. But that's all I can tell you at the moment," Tom said. "Be like the newbie and be nice to me," he remarked.

"I'm always nice; especially to medical examiners. My last one was off his rocker and he used to chase me out to my car screaming, 'Kill the hillbilly!' it was awkward." Mercedes stated.

"Weren't you all from Kentucky?" Jesse chuckled.

"He wasn't, he was from New York." Mercedes said.

"What did you do about it?" Tom asked.

"I kept a big Super Soaker in my truck bed and I used to squirt him with water until he'd run back into the building. The lab also always kept a big security guard down by my truck just in case." Mercedes said. "But one day I had to rent a car and I forgot which one it was… so long story short I got chased around the parking garage until a guard caught him."

"Why didn't they just fire him?" Horatio chuckled.

"We couldn't find a replacement. After he chased me he was sent to an institution. Just to let you guys know weird things happen around me," Mercedes laughed and they finished processing the room.

The entire house took four hours and the CSIs were exhausted once they finished. Mercedes pulled a long night at the lab until Horatio finally sent her home at midnight. She was concerned when he didn't leave as well. It was the weekend after all and someone was probably waiting for him at home.

Mercedes smiled at the thought of living with Rick someday. He was a gentleman and shared all of her interests and opinions.

* * *

She dragged herself out of bed the next morning as well and drove out to the lab. Jesse was there again and they soon had the second blood donor in the bloody room and their murderer. Horatio allowed the two to take the rest of the day off after the suspect was sent to booking.

Mercedes went back to her flat and decided to spend the rest of the day hanging around the house and keep the cats company. She sat on the couch and browsed on her laptop. She groaned as her phone rang. Mercedes then smiled as it read "Rick".

"Hello?" she said cheerfully.

"Hey are you busy?" Rick asked.

"Not at the moment, what did you have in mind?" Mercedes asked.

"You want to go out for a ride? There's a few trails through the glades," Rick offered.

"Sure, I'll be at the stable in about twenty," Mercedes said.

"See you then," Rick said cheerfully and they hung up. She got up, pulled jeans and old cowboy boots onto her feet and was out the door.

Mercedes and Rick spent the rest of the day riding their appaloosa and quarter horse through the swamps and along the beach.

* * *

The next day at the lab went smoothly with no murders, only a break in at a small club. Mercedes and Ryan stood in the trace lab and were going over all of the evidence they collected.

"Hey Mercedes a package came in for you," Jesse said and walked into the lab. He gave her the small package and she set it down immediately. The hand writing on the box sent chills up her spine.

"Um, Jesse can we have this scanned for anything that might want to harm me?" Mercedes asked.

"Why? Who would want to do that?" Jesse asked and studied the box.

"An ex of mine." Mercedes sighed.

"Should I get bomb squad?" Jesse asked.

"Have Horatio look at it first," Mercedes said.

"Okay, I'll go get him," Jesse said and returned with the red head a minute later.

"What seems to be the problem Ms. Sinclair?" Horatio asked with concern.

"One of my bad exes obviously followed me here, that's his handwriting," Mercedes said and showed him the written address.

"Has he sent you things like this before?" Horatio asked.

"He's sent me things laced with arsenic but we could never prove he did it. He also made fireworks for a living and I wouldn't put it past him to make a bomb," Mercedes explained.

"I will have this looked at," Horatio assured her.

"Thank you sir and I'm sorry about this," Mercedes apologized.

"No problem ma'am, these things happen," Horatio assured her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Slight spoilers for Marley and Me. **

**Lots of fluff. **

Chapter 4

The box turned out to be harmless, inside it was just a necklace without a note. Mercedes shook her head at this and threw it away. _I hate it when he pulls this shit;_ she thought and went back to her lab.

Her coworkers looked at her with concern but she ignored them, she didn't want to talk about it. Her thoughts were also on Rick and she hoped her ex wouldn't get him involved with anything. Mercedes' CSI experience told her that it was almost inevitable. It would just be a matter of time until the lab found out about their relationship, no matter how long they had been together.

"Do you need an officer at your home Ms. Sinclair?" Horatio asked as she left.

"No but thank you Horatio. He knows better than to go onto my property." Mercedes said.

"Can you give me a name and description of him?" Horatio asked. Mercedes sighed.

"Keith Cox, he's about six foot, long blonde hair." She said.

"If you don't mind me asking what went wrong with you two?"

"He started to become abusive and drank a little too much at times. We were together for about five years before that point. After I broke up with him he's been pulling this creepy stalker stuff. I thought moving to Miami would maybe deter him a little," Mercedes explained.

"Okay, thank you for clearing that up for me. Have a nice evening Ms. Sinclair."

"You too Horatio, goodnight," Mercedes waved and pulled the old Dodge out of the parking lot and onto the freeway.

The cats greeted her as she walked through the door and threw the deadbolts.

"Hey kitties," Mercedes cooed and went to take a shower. Afterward she threw on a tank top and flannel shorts and looked for something for dinner. She decided on leftover lasagna and stuck it in the microwave. Hearing someone knock on the door Mercedes picked up her gun and went to answer it.

She laughed when she saw Rick on the door step with Birdie on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Mercedes giggled.

"In my opinion you may need police protection," Rick grinned.

"Then come in officer but my place is a mess," Mercedes said and let him in the door.

"That's okay," Rick said and followed her to the kitchen. "What smells so good?"

"Left over lasagna, want some?" Mercedes offered.

"If you don't mind."

"Not at all I enjoy company," she smiled and waited for their food to heat up. Birdie eyed the two male cats as they sat under Rick and studied her.

"Your cats are fixed right?" Rick asked.

"Yeah they are just curious. They'll respect Birdie," Mercedes said.

"They are beautiful," Rick remarked.

"Thank you, the tiger is Rascal and the other is Samson." Mercedes said and took a few beers out of the fridge and handed Rick his plate. "I don't have a dining room set up, I just eat wherever." She said and they sat on the plush couch.

"This is delicious," Rick gushed. "How do you get the sauce sweet?"

"Simmer it with brown sugar," Mercedes said.

"Hmm I'll have to remember that," Rick smiled.

"Don't give my secret away." She said and took their plates to the kitchen.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Rick chuckled and waited for her to come back to the couch. Mercedes sat down beside him and put her arm around his neck.

"Want to watch a movie?" she asked.

"I would like to do anything with you. Which movie did you want to watch?"Rick said sweetly.

"Whatever is on HBO," Mercedes shrugged and they laughed. "'Marley and Me' is on," she said after flipping through the channels.

"I heard that was cry-your-eyes-out sad," Rick said.

"Just the ending but everything else is hilarious," Mercedes said.

"Okay fine. I will trust your judgment," Rick smiled and they cuddled up for about two hours to watch it. The cats meanwhile tore through the house and up into the attic and back down. Birdie would run for a little while then turn around and hiss at the other two.

"Birdie come here," Rick called to her and she jumped up on Mercedes' shoulder. "Traitor," Rick chuckled.

"Good kitty," Mercedes said and scratched her head.

"That was an awfully sad movie, I can't believe you made me watch that," Rick sniffed.

"Aww I'm sorry. I thought most of it was funny," Mercedes said.

"It was but I don't like to see animals die," Rick pouted.

"Me neither." Mercedes said and yawned. "We have work in the morning."

"I know, what time do you get up?"

"Six thirty. You are staying on the couch tonight, let me find you some blankets," she said and went to search the closet. Rick waited patiently and went into the bathroom to change into sleepwear.

Mercedes came back to the living room and handed him a large down comforter and a few pillows.

"Good night." Mercedes said.

"Good night," Rick said back and settled down on the cushions. Rascal and Birdie jumped on him and Samson ran to Mercedes and jumped onto the bed.

"Fat cat," Mercedes chuckled and curled up in the bed for the night.

* * *

**See real pictures of Rascal, Samson and Birdie on my Livejournal page! (Link on profile) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you JagLady for the review ^^ **

Chapter 5

"Stop making fun of my truck," Mercedes laughed.

"It's a dinosaur, you need a new one," Eric chuckled and continued photographing.

"It runs perfectly fine," Mercedes said and photographed a shoe print. They were at a crime scene on the edge of a park. Someone had hung a man about the age of thirty from a thick tree. The body had been discovered by some teenagers that morning.

"How long have you had it?" Eric asked.

"It was my first car thank you very much," Mercedes said smugly.

"Jeez," Eric chuckled.

"People can we focus please?" Horatio asked the two bickering CSIs.

"Yes sir," the pair chirped. Mercedes moved to the edge of the clearing and observed a path beat down through the brush by someone who probably ran that way.

"What do you have Ms. Sinclair?" Horatio asked.

"An escape path, and probably some skin or blood from our perp on these thorns," Mercedes said.

"Good work. Be careful back in there," Horatio said.

"Will do sir," Mercedes said and started making her way back into the woods. She did it quite easily; she had done a lot of work in the woods back in Kentucky. There were in fact samples of blood and some fabric caught in some nasty thorns. Mercedes didn't realize how far she had gone until she couldn't hear or see anyone else.

"GGrrrrr," came a low growl from up ahead.

"Oh fuck." Mercedes cursed. A small brown bear reared up onto its hind legs not twenty feet away. It let out a small roar and charged. Mercedes turned on her heels and tore another path through the woods. The bear ran and flattened everything it came across.

* * *

"Where did Mercedes go?" Calliegh asked Ryan.

"H sent her into the woods." Ryan said.

"How long ago was that?" Calliegh asked.

"Twenty minutes maybe, she couldn't have gotten far," Ryan shrugged.

* * *

Mercedes jumped onto a low hanging branch and climbed her way up the tree while the bear roared and clawed at the bark down below. She panted and rested her back against the trunk. Mercedes un holstered her gun and fired two shots into the air. She had lost her phone somewhere along the way or left it in the Hummer.

* * *

"That's gun fire," Horatio said and led his team into the woods.

"I'm fine it's just a bear!" Mercedes yelled from her tree. The brown bear saw the other humans and took off in the opposite direction. Mercedes blew out in relief and climbed down the tree.

"Are you sure you're ok ma'am?" Horatio asked and gave her a hand down.

"I'm fine. I need to go find my kit," she sighed.

"Eric and Ryan will go with you," H said.

"Okay," they all three agreed and retraced Mercedes' steps and found the kit where she had left it. The trail through the woods ran cold at a field and they back tracked to the crime scene.

The blood samples from numerous thorn bushes helped them find the killer quickly and put him behind bars. Horatio allowed them all to go home early.

Rick caught Mercedes as she went out to her truck.

"Do you want to come over to my house tonight?" he asked innocently.

"I don't know if I really want to go to a bachelor pad," Mercedes teased.

"Aww really? I have a pool, a hot tub, a nice guest bedroom." Rick offered.

"I'll have to think about it."

"See you around six?" Rick asked.

"Fine, six it is. Give me some directions," Mercedes caved. Rick smiled and wrote down the address and street names.

"I'll see you in a little while," Rick said.

"Okay, do you want me to bring the cats?" Mercedes asked.

"The more the merrier and what happened today?"Rick asked.

"Oh gosh I'll tell you over dinner," Mercedes sighed.

"Bring your swimsuit," Rick said before they waved goodbye and drove in the opposite directions.

Mercedes put the cats in their carriers and drove to Rick's house with her overnight bag. She found it easily but couldn't believe it was actually his house. It was in an upscale neighborhood; it was at least two stories tall and looked like something from a magazine.

She walked up to the front door and knocked. Rick answered a few seconds later and let her inside. Mercedes was even more impressed with the inside.

"Is this really your house?" Mercedes asked as she let the cats out of their carriers.

"Of course it is. I just got a big inheritance and used it," Rick shrugged.

"Lucky," Mercedes said and watched the cats trot toward the living room. Rick took her to the kitchen where he had a few things cooking. The kitchen was immaculate as well and very spacious.

"I hope you like my homemade vegetable soup," Rick said.

"I'll eat just about anything and I have a feeling you cook well," Mercedes said and sat on a stool by the island. Rick chuckled and stirred something in a crock pot.

"So are you going to tell me what horror you experienced today?"

"I got chased by a bear back in the woods. I have no idea how I didn't see it until it was twenty feet away," Mercedes said.

"It happens, you were focused on your work. Have some backup next time," Rick said.

"Yeah I guess I need to be more careful," Mercedes said and watched him fill two bowls. "Looks good," she smiled and he sat down with her.

"I hope it is," Rick chuckled and the two began to eat. Rascal jumped on the table a few times and Mercedes shooed him off.

"Bad cat, this isn't our house," she scolded.

"It's your house if you want it to be," Rick smiled and covered her hand with his. Warmth spread through her body and she blushed.

"You have big hands," Mercedes remarked.

"I know," Rick chuckled and took their dirty dishes to the sink.

"I want to see this pool and hot tub of yours," Mercedes said and scratched Birdie's head.

"Right this way ma'am," Rick said politely and they moved to the living room. The pool was out in the backyard beyond a sliding glass door.

"Beautiful Rick, you even have a fence," Mercedes said and looked at it.

"Yeah so the cats can't get out and I enjoy skinny dipping once in a while."

"Who doesn't?" Mercedes chuckled.

"Want to go for a swim?" Rick asked.

"I didn't think you were supposed to swim for an hour after eating."

"It's not a deep pool," Rick said.

"Fine, where's your bathroom?" Mercedes asked.

"Big one or small one?"

"You have two bathrooms?"

"Yeah one of em has the hot tub," Rick said.

"Are your toilets made of gold?"

"Very funny. We'll save the tub for later, my smaller bathroom is on the top floor, up the stairs on the right," Rick said and she found it easily. The bathroom had a large marble sink and the shower had its own small room. The curtains and décor were a rich dark burgundy with assorted tans. She slipped into a small red and gold bikini. Mercedes went back down the stairs wrapped in a towel and met Rick outside.

He was cleaning the pool with a long pole and net.

"Is it heated?" Mercedes asked and put the towel on a lawn chair.

"Yeah," Rick said and averted his eyes from her perfect form.

"Nice," Mercedes said and tested the water. Rick put the net on the side of the pool and walked over to her.

"So are we going to stand here all night or are we going to swim?" Rick asked.

"I'm not standing," Mercedes said and tackled him into the pool. Rick yelped in surprise and the water splashed over the edges of the pool as they landed.

"This is not heated!" Mercedes laughed as they came up out of the water.

"Cold blooded creature," Rick laughed.

"Never," Mercedes said and splashed him. He laughed and soon they had a battle going.

"We'd better quit before my neighbor comes over here," Rick panted and rested up against the edge of the pool. Mercedes swam over to him and put her arms on his neck.

"That bad?" she asked.

"Yeah I always have to keep it down or they call the cops," Rick sighed.

"What do you do to get the cops called?"

"I like to blare my stereo and have parties." Rick said.

"The stingy comes with the neighborhood huh?" Mercedes asked.

"Yeah," Rick sighed and kissed her. Mercedes jumped in surprise then returned it. "I'm sorry," Rick mumbled.

"No it's okay," Mercedes gasped and pressed her body against his. She kissed him again and Rick grasped the back of her neck. Mercedes had a weird feeling of being watched but shrugged it off.

"We'd better quit before we do something we'll regret," Rick gasped.

"I agree," Mercedes said and climbed out of the pool with Rick following. They toweled off and went back into the house. Rick closed the door and armed the security system. He shut the blinds and followed her into the house.

"Do we still want to see the hot tub?" Rick asked.

"Yes I do," Mercedes smiled. The cats were looking at them from the couch.

"At least the war in here has stopped," Rick said.

"They probably made a peace treaty," Mercedes said and Rick took her hand. He led her back into the house under the loft and into another room. She gasped at the large bathroom. A large hot tub sat in the center of it in a marble floor.

"You like?" Rick asked.

"Yes I like," Mercedes laughed. "What I can't figure out is why a bachelor has all of this."

"I enjoy the pleasures of life. And I've been waiting for someone to share it all with," Rick said and turned the large faucets on. Steam filled the room as the tub filled and they lowered themselves into the hot water. Rick turned on the jets and the couple hummed in contentment. They spent an hour there talking over work related issues then went to bed. Mercedes curled up in the soft spare bedroom and was surrounded by cats. She quickly fell asleep even with Samson sleeping practically on top of her head.

* * *

The next morning she went into the crime lab and straight to the break room. Ryan looked at her sheepishly then left quickly. Mercedes watched this strange behavior then went to get some coffee. She enjoyed the caffeine high for a moment then walked to her lab.

Dave hung his head as he passed her and walked faster in the opposite direction. Mercedes observed this then caught Eric on the way out of her lab. He turned red and tried to get past her.

"Oh no you don't, tell me why people are looking at me like I have a skin disease!" Mercedes growled and shoved him back in to the room.

"Why me? Go find Calliegh!" Eric argued.

"No, I haven't seen her all morning. Tell me what is going on." Mercedes demanded. Eric swallowed and stuttered for a moment.

"There was an e-mail," Eric said.

"What kind of e-mail?"

"Um, well I'll just say it's kind of… weird." Eric said.

"Eric," Mercedes said impatiently.

"It's a picture of you and Stetler," Eric mumbled.

"Me and Stetler where?"

"In a pool..." Eric mumbled.

"Show me," Mercedes sighed.

"Okay," Eric agreed grudgingly and opened up his e-mail account. Mercedes groaned at the picture that had been taken and sent to the whole lab.

"Can we get this to AV and see if there is a reflection in one of the glass doors?"

"Yeah, I'll take care of it," Eric said and stood up to leave.

"And just to let you know I am _not _sleeping with him."

"Thanks for that bit of information," Eric chuckled.

"You know how the grapevine is, it's worse at work then in high school," Mercedes grumbled and looked at the paper work on her desk.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you JagLady and Melody Whispers for the reviews ^^ **

Chapter 5

Rick put his face in his hands and groaned when he opened the e-mail. There was no doubt the whole lab knew by now and he would have to answer some questions. He looked up as Mercedes slipped into the office and closed the door quietly behind her and locked it.

"How did you escape Horatio?" Rick asked.

"I have had practice in the past. Did you see that e-mail?" Mercedes asked.

"Yes unfortunately. I didn't even notice anyone last night," Rick said.

"Me neither, but it bothers me he knows who you are," Mercedes said and sat on the corner of his desk.

"It bothers me he was so close to you. Stay at my house until he is caught please," Rick said.

"I'll have to think about it Rick," Mercedes said.

"My security system is the best Mercedes."

"Do guns come out of the wall when the alarm is triggered?" Mercedes teased.

"Not quite smart one." Rick chuckled.

"Fine, I'll stay with you. Right now I should go back to the lab, Horatio's probably looking for me," Mercedes said.

"Good idea, he'll probably insist on police protection and that you stop seeing me. Just get it over with," Rick chuckled.

"Okay see you later," Mercedes said and left the office. She went back to her lab and Horatio quickly found her.

"Ma'am my office please," Horatio said and Mercedes knew it was an order.

"Yes sir." She said and followed him to the glass bowl.

"There was a picture sent out to the whole lab. I assume you know this?"

"Yes Horatio."

"It could put you in a compromising position."

"I am aware of that."

"Now your ex knows who you are seeing. Are you prepared to allow Rick to deal with him as well?"

"Rick understands the situation."

"Good please be careful."

"Yes sir," Mercedes said and went to the break room for a snack. They were soon called out on a crime scene and she was busy for the day.

Rick followed her to her small house and waited while she packed a few things and got the cats' essentials. The two drove back to Rick's house and Mercedes put her things in the extra room.

Mercedes decided to acquaint herself with the kitchen and started to cook dinner. Her cell phone rang and she smiled as the caller id read _Linda. _Linda was her sister and they hadn't talked since the day after Mercedes had moved.

"Hey Linn," Mercedes said cheerfully and set the phone on speaker phone.

"Finally you answer my calls!" Linda exclaimed.

"I have been busy, work has been crazy," Mercedes said.

"How is Miami? Is it riddled with crime?"

"Unfortunately, it's ten times as bad as Lexington. I get a bigger salary though."

"How are the beaches?"

"Is this twenty questions?"

"Just answer me!"

"They are worse than a sauna." Rick walked down the stairs from his shower and finished drying his hair. He looked quizzically into the kitchen to figure out who he was hearing talking.

"Who are you talking to?" Rick asked.

"My sister, it's on speakerphone," Mercedes said.

"Who is that?" Linda asked.

"My boyfriend. His name is Rick," Mercedes told her.

"Hey Ricky! I'm Linda."

"Nice to meet you Linda," Rick said politely.

"Where are you from sweetheart?"

"Birmingham Alabama," Rick said and called the cats to feed them. Birdie jumped to her usual space on the counter and hissed down at the two male cats. "Calm down your highness." Rick said and put her food into her dish. She growled low in her throat and the fur rose on her back as Rascal and Samson meowed up at her.

"Chill all of you," Mercedes laughed.

"Are Rascal and Sammy going at it?" Linda asked.

"No Rick's cat doesn't like them," Mercedes said.

"Aww. Well anyway, is there any good time for me to come down there?" Linda asked.

"Well… the bad news is Keith followed me here and we are trying to sort that out. I am technically under police protection." Mercedes said and watched her cats pace around the kitchen. She picked up their food bag and poured their tiny bits of kibble.

"That's shit and how are you 'technically' under police protection?"

"I told my boss I don't need any patrol hanging around but I can see one down the street. And Rick is in IAB."

"What is your boss like?"

"He is a great guy but I think he's lonely. Have you heard from mom lately?"

"Yeah she wants me to bring her and dad when I come to see you."

"Great," Mercedes groaned.

"Yeah I know. How big is Rick's house?"

"It looks like it came out of a millionaire magazine." Mercedes said and Rick gave her a playful glare.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah he has a pool, a hot tub, two bathrooms, and a guest room."

"You are exaggerating."

"No I'm not. He rides too."

"Then keep him! I can't wait to come down there."

"Come next weekend. I just hope I don't pull long hours."

"Okay cool, I'll talk to you soon." The two sisters said goodbye and Mercedes shut the speaker feature off.

"She sounds interesting," Rick commented.

"Wait till you meet my mother, she's ten times worse," Mercedes said and dished out spaghetti for them.

"And she is coming to stay?"

"Yes sir in your house."

"Thank you now I have to clean." Rick chuckled.

"I will do that but there really isn't much cleaning to be done surprisingly." Mercedes teased.

"I pretty much just come here to eat, sleep and change my clothes," Rick chuckled.

"That's usually all I go home for as well." The two decided to go out onto the back patio to eat. The cats ran outside and played in the grass. Rascal ran up the fence and perched on the edge. Samson and Birdie yowled in frustration at the tiger higher than them.

"Rascal get down!" Mercedes called.

"Did you ever process that fence?"

"Yeah but there wasn't anything to find," Mercedes said. Rascal meowed and tiptoed across the thin wood and around the yard. When he jumped down the two other cats chased after him and cornered him at the edge of the pool. Rascal hissed and he arched his back. Birdie lunged at him and the two hissing cats fell into the pool. By this time Rick and Mercedes were laughing so hard they were in tears. The two angry and wet cats jumped out of the pool and chose different corners of the yard to dry off.

"I'll go get towels," Rick snickered and disappeared into the house. Mercedes went over to her cat and sat down with him. Samson had ran back into the house with Rick and situated himself on the couch.

"Poor kitties," Rick laughed and handed Mercedes a small towel and went over to Birdie. She stopped licking her paw and growled at him.

"Your cat has a bad case of PMS," Mercedes laughed and dried Rascal's fur.

"I know," Rick said and gently toweled her. Birdie gave in and allowed herself to be dried. Rascal got fed up with it and ran back into the house. Birdie watched him and wormed out of Rick's grasp and dashed to the second floor of the house. "Your cat is a bad influence on mine," Rick chuckled.

"Yours provokes mine," Mercedes laughed and laid on her back in the soft grass.

"Comfortable?" Rick asked and laid down beside her.

"Yes I am. I love grass," Mercedes said.

"Me too," Rick hummed and looked up and the clouds.

"We really shouldn't be just laying out like this," Mercedes said.

"It's my house why not?"

"Number one my psychotic ex could be lurking around. Number two Horatio has a few patrol cars around and they might get suspicious if we aren't inside. Number three your creepy neighbor is waiting for is to fuck on your lawn." Mercedes chuckled.

"He needs to get a new hobby." Rick chuckled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this is a short chapter. **

Chapter 6

Mercedes stayed with him through the week and the two rode on the weekend through the glades.

Linda would be staying the week after along with Mercedes' mother, Jean and her father Sam. Rick was happy to be able to have some more company and would set up his transformable couch.

Nobody said much about her relationship with Rick at the lab mostly because Rick wasn't seen much. Horatio kept a close eye on her a lot of the time and had a patrol in her and Rick's neighbor hoods. Mercedes decided not to confront him and just did her job.

"I am having my mom, dad and sister over this weekend. If you meet my mom don't take anything she says to heart." Mercedes told the team.

"Is she that bad?" Jesse chuckled.

"Yes she is. Horatio will get the most abuse though, she doesn't like gingers." Mercedes said and Horatio laughed.

"Keep her away from me then." Horatio chuckled.

"I don't plan on letting her meet anyone but Rick but… whatever happens, happens," Mercedes sighed and the team said their goodbyes for the night.

* * *

"Rascal get off," Rick said and brushed the cat off his lap for the third time. He would sink his claws into Rick's legs and the man was getting annoyed with it. Rascal meowed up at him with innocence in his gold eyes and paraded along the back of the couch.

"What's he doing to you?" Mercedes asked. She walked down the stairs from the spare bedroom.

"Being a brat," Rick said and the cat tapped the side of his face with a thin white paw.

"He loves you," Mercedes cooed and kissed his cheek. Rick pulled her onto his lap and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you," Rick whispered.

"I love you too," Mercedes said and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and lovingly kissed back.

_RRooowwwrrrr! _Rascal yowled indignantly from the floor.

"Selfish kitty," Mercedes muttered. Rascal turned and ran back to the kitchen. "Let me feed them." She sighed and walked to the kitchen. All of the cats pattered over the tile floors and jumped onto the counter. Rick followed her and leaned against the wall. Once Mercedes was finished she wrapped her arms around Rick's waist. "Take me upstairs," Mercedes whispered.

"Are you sure?" Rick asked.

"Yes I am," Mercedes said and squealed as Rick picked her up. He carried her up the stairs and smiled as he shut the bedroom door behind them.

****************

Mercedes awakened groggily as her phone went off around two in the morning.

"Who is it?" Rick groaned.

"Horatio." Mercedes said and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ms. Sinclair, are you still at Rick's home?" Horatio asked with a worried tone.

"Yes I am, why?" Mercedes asked. Rick leaned over and listened as well.

"Um… well I think you need to come by the lab." Horatio said.

"What happened Horatio?" Mercedes asked. Horatio paused for a moment.

"Your house burned down. I'm sorry," Horatio said sincerely.

"Oh damn it all. Was anything saved?"

"I'm not sure, our officers have deemed it as a crime scene," Horatio said.

"Is there signs of arson?" Mercedes asked.

"Gasoline," Horatio said.

"Great. Do you want me to come in now?" she asked.

"No, get some sleep we have it covered." Horatio said.

"Thank you Horatio, but I think you need sleep sometimes as well," Mercedes chuckled.

"I know I do, but crime never sleeps. I'll see you in the morning," Horatio said.

"Thank you Horatio," Mercedes said and they hung up.

"I'm sorry about the house," Rick whispered and hugged her.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I have home insurance," Mercedes said and yawned.

"Everything you own was in there," Rick said.

"As long as my kitties are safe it doesn't matter," Mercedes smiled.


End file.
